* Walter Schreifels - vocals, guitar
* Cache Tolman - bass
* Sam Siegler - drums
* Ian Love - guitar (left in 2002)
The band decided to start a series of EPs where multiple groups form a single band and they looked to Jonah Matranga formerly of Far, New End Original and Gratitude. The lone result was titled Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing, released on 24th July 2001. Their full-length album titled United By Fate was released on 28th August the same year on Island Records. Shortly after the release of United By Fate, the band released their first single, Used for Glue. The second single released from the album was Good Things. Both releases enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV, both in the US and UK.
Ian Love left the band in 2002, and played as part of an Experimental-Rock band named Cardia, releasing an eponymous album in 2003.
A second album was expected for spring/summer 2003, but it did not surface. However, the master tapes of the album were leaked onto the internet, comprised of eleven tracks:
01- Just a Second
02- The Perspective Reach
03- I Don't Know
04- Your Answer
05- See What You Got
06- Looking
07- Don't Change
08- Shared Information
09- Surrendering Position
10- Seems So Real
11- Get Out of This Place
Rival Schools parted ways in September 2003. Schreifels formed a new band called Walking Concert, releasing an album in 2004. The second album will now be released sometime in 2006.
Sammy Siegler joined Nightmare of You and briefly provided percussion for Limp Bizkit.
The band reformed for shows in Summer 2008 and a new album is expected.
The band was originally named Rival Schools United by Fate, after a video game, but due to legal reasons had to change their name to just Rival Schools.
Don't Change
Rival Schools Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still take to the jail where you sit
Well i guess you've gone and blown it again
Nazi guard don't go changing
Trying to be everybody
To follow blessed with a message
[Chorus]
And our heads are sure in the basement
Passive engagements to China
Heroes
And disposable gods
Heroes
And disposable
So get your slow song another deal done
An invitation
For chance of a lifetime
Time and time again
It feels like a held you as if we were close friends
I know it makes no sense
He wanted to boast and lead by example
I didn't get the message
[Chorus]
It's just entertainment
And our head is sure in the basement
Passive engagements
To China
And disposable gods
Heroes
And disposable
Heroes
Time and time again
For a chance of a lifetime
Slowly away from you
I will take something I will never know
What's clear in my mind
You are the model I am drawing from
Hero
And disposable gods
Heroes
And it takes away the need
Hero
And disposable gods
Heroes
And disposable
The lyrics of Rival Schools’ song “Don’t Change” appear to revolve around the concept of disillusionment with the music industry, and perhaps entertainment culture as a whole. The opening lines, “I can’t see / Still take to the jail where you sit / Well I guess you’ve gone and blown it again,” suggest frustration with someone who has made a mistake, possibly a musician who has messed up a chance at success. The next line, “Nazi guard don’t go changing,” could be interpreted as a condemnation of the strict adherence to industry standards, as if they are enforcing a particular Nazi-like ideology.
The lyrics go on to talk about “trying to be everybody,” perhaps indicating the pressure that artists face to conform to a certain image or sound in order to succeed. The chorus of “It’s just entertainment / And our heads are sure in the basement / Passive engagements to China” could suggest a sense of apathy and disillusionment with the state of the entertainment industry, as well as a critique of Western culture’s preoccupation with passive consumption (hence the reference to China, a country often associated with mass production).
The repeated refrains of “Heroes / And disposable gods” seem to reinforce this sense of disillusionment and cynicism, as if the music industry creates fleeting idols that are easily discarded by the public. Overall, the lyrics of “Don’t Change” feel like a disillusioned critique of the music industry and its effects on society.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't see
I am unable to comprehend what's happening.
Still take to the jail where you sit
Your actions have landed you in trouble.
Well i guess you've gone and blown it again
You have made the same mistake again.
Nazi guard don't go changing
Do not abuse your authority and power.
Trying to be everybody
Attempting to please everyone.
To follow blessed with a message
To lead people with a divine purpose.
It's just entertainment
What you are witnessing is only for amusement.
And our heads are sure in the basement
We are not thinking clearly or logically.
Passive engagements to China
Not actively participating but still influenced by events happening elsewhere.
Heroes
Individuals we look up to and admire.
And disposable gods
Our idols who we can cast aside and forget about when they no longer serve us.
So get your slow song another deal done
Resolve your problems to the best of your ability
An invitation
An offer for an opportunity.
For chance of a lifetime
An opportunity that may never arise again.
Time and time again
Repeatedly experiencing the same thing.
It feels like a held you as if we were close friends
I have a strong connection with you.
I know it makes no sense
I am aware that my feelings are irrational.
He wanted to boast and lead by example
He wished to boast about his accomplishments and influence others to follow suit.
I didn't get the message
I failed to understand his intentions.
And our head is sure in the basement
We are not thinking clearly or logically.
And disposable gods
Our idols who we can cast aside and forget about when they no longer serve us.
Time and time again
Repeatedly experiencing the same thing.
For a chance of a lifetime
An opportunity that may never arise again.
Slowly away from you
Moving further away from someone or something.
I will take something I will never know
I will pursue something I may never attain or comprehend.
What's clear in my mind
Something that is certain and comprehensible to me.
You are the model I am drawing from
You are the example I am following.
Hero
Someone we look up to and admire.
And disposable gods
Our idols who we can cast aside and forget about when they no longer serve us.
Heroes
Individuals we look up to and admire.
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fleischwagen
The intro skips a little bit, but ill let it slide hah